Wild Garlic Soup

Prep time: 45 mins | Serves: 4

Ingredients: ‍ ‍

•⁠ ⁠25g unsalted butter

•⁠ ⁠10ml olive oil

•⁠ ⁠1 medium onion, finely sliced

•⁠ ⁠1 medium leek (about 150g trimmed), washed and sliced

•⁠ ⁠2 garlic cloves, finely sliced

•⁠ ⁠300g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes

•⁠ ⁠800ml vegetable stock

•⁠ ⁠80g wild garlic leaves, washed and roughly chopped

•⁠ ⁠50g baby spinach

•⁠ ⁠100ml double cream

•⁠ ⁠5g fine sea salt (plus more to taste)

•⁠ ⁠2g freshly ground black pepper

•⁠ ⁠1g lemon zest

Method:

1.⁠ ⁠In a large saucepan, heat the butter and 10ml olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, leek and 2g salt. Cook 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very soft and translucent but not browned. Add the sliced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the potatoes, then pour in the vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer, cover loosely and cook 12–15 minutes until the potatoes are completely tender.

2.⁠ ⁠Turn the heat to low. Add the wild garlic and spinach to the pot and stir until just wilted and bright green, 1–2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Using a stick blender, blend the soup until completely smooth and velvety. Stir in the double cream, then season with 3g salt, the pepper and the lemon juice. If the soup seems too thick, loosen with a splash of hot water; if too thin, simmer gently for a few minutes to reduce. Taste and tweak the seasoning until it sings. Keep warm over very low heat, stirring occasionally.

3.⁠ ⁠Ladle the warm wild garlic soup into bowls. Drizzle with a tiny swirl of cream or olive oil if you like, and finish with a crack of black pepper. Serve immediately with a warm slice of crispy bread.

Storage:

Cool soup and toasties completely. Refrigerate the soup in an airtight container for up to 3 days; it may thicken slightly, so loosen with a splash of water or stock when reheating gently over low heat until piping hot (do not let it boil hard).